Deeper Than Hatred
by x0xDark-Angelx0x
Summary: Kagome is through with Inuyasha. She looks at him with hatred and leaves the group and meets up with Sesshoumaru. She is no longer that sweet girl you thought you knew... she just became as deadly as the demon lord she now travels with. SK. On Hold.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha…_sigh_**

**Deeper Than Hatred**

Written by: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter One: Never Have, Never Will

Again and again and again. That's all that they were doing. Fighting demons left and right and most of them don't even have a freaking shard. Kami! She was so sick of all of this. It was all bull crap.

Usually Kagome walked with Inuyasha and Shippo but today she chose to stay behind. Shippo continually ran back to her but she just stayed quiet no matter what he did or said.

Shippo then ran back to Inuyasha

"Inuyasha" He said and tugged at his clothes.

"What?"

He turned to look at the little fox demon. "Why is Kagome's so quiet? And she isn't walking with us today... what's wrong?" For a moment Shippo thought he saw worry on Inuyasha's face but that disappeared quickly.

"Feh... humans are weak, she's probably got a headache or something." He said and turned back to look ahead of the road.

"But--" Shippo said but Inuyasha just ignored him.

But Inuyasha was thinking about Kagome too, she had been unusually quiet the last few days... and she seemed to be avoiding him. Or was he just imagining things? He had probably done something to make her really mad. Maybe she was mad because of what he did the last time he'd come to pick her up in her time.

He had seen her talking to a good-looking human male. Inuyasha had instantly gotten jealous and just had to butt-in. He went and put himself between them and began screaming at the boy. He cursed so much that even a nun would say damn. But of course when that poor human boy saw Inuyasha's ears and claws he had gotten really afraid and ran off... poor weak human boy, oh well... Kagome should be grateful! He helped her! If she had gotten pups with that human they would probably end up being weak cowards, so he really did her a favor! She shouldn't be mad at him for that... but still... there had to be something she was angry about.

Inuyasha groaned and shook his head, all this was making his head hurt! He turned to look at Kagome... she was way back... as far away from him as possibly, so he decided to get closer.

He made a jump and landed before her. "Hey!" He yelled and she lifted her head to look at him. "Why are you walking back here? And not in the front?" He asked her. She was silent for a while and then she turned her face away.

"I wanted to be alone for a while..." She said and sighed. He looked at her for a while.

"You're angry at me aren't you? For what I did before?" She looked at him confused

"What?"

He was surprised, she didn't remember it!

"Well if you don't remember it, it can't be the reason why you're so mad at me..." He said and folded his arms.

Kagome chuckled humorlessly. But of course he wouldn't know, he never knew anything. Pathetic. It's been a freaking five years since she fell down that damn well and he still hasn't matured, even slightly. She was 20 years old now, was traveling with a half-demon, and searching for magical shards because if she didn't Japan was doomed because another certain half-demon wants to rule the world. What the hell happened to her life?!

God, she was so frustrated and angry. She wasted five years of her life falling in love with a stupid half-demon who would rather spend his time rutting with a god damned walking corpse. UGH!

"Inuyasha if you are speaking of when you most rudely scared the hell out of my friend, then no, I am no longer mad at you for that." She said. "And to answer your question to why I am not walking with you, it's because I happen to like to be able to think in peace for once."

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" yelled Inuyasha.

"That you can never shut up" she said simply.

"Why you-!" he started.

"See? Even now you can't keep your mouth shut." She said.

Inuyasha glared at her and turned away with a grunt. Suddenly he stopped walking, causing Kagome to crash into him and lose her balance. With a _thump_ she landed on the ground. Inuyasha looked down at her with a sneer on his face.

"Damn, you are such a klutz, you'll never be as graceful as Kikyou."

She groaned and got off the floor. She turned around and looked at him with such hatred that he took a step back.

"You are such a jerk, Inuyasha!" she screamed. "Why can't you ever grow up and be like the guys in my time?!"

He glared at her.

"You mean you're seeing other guys in your time!?! Who told you that you were allowed to do that!?" He yelled at her.

There was silence for a few moments. A silence so cold and dark, that the demon slayer, monk, fox child, and fire cat shivered. Kagome stared at Inuyasha with glinting brown eyes. When she spoke her words rang clear and were as sharp as a knife.

"How dare you." She said.

"How dare you say that to me? This is my life half-breed and I shall do what I please. You never have, and never will fully know me. If it were not for the fact that I love Shippo, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara like family, and that I want to fix the jewel, then I would have left years ago. You're nothing to me anymore."

Kagome said this with such venom that Inuyasha was shocked, sure he had seen her angry before, and calling him jerk and things like that... but this time... she had just said that she didn't care about him... that she just cared about the rest of the gang. That she would have left him years ago if it were not for the jewel. She called him half-breed.

"K-Kagome... d-do you mean that?" He asked her carefully.

Kagome gave a short cruel laugh.

"Do you accuse me of lying? I thought that even your pathetic mind would be able to follow along. Excuse me for being mistaken. Of course I mean it! You are nothing to me, just as I am apparently nothing to you!"

Inuyasha looked at her startled. "What are you talking about? I care about you!"

"Apparently not a whole much. Did you think I didn't see you rutting Kikyou two days ago? Did you think I would not be able to sense that whore and your aura? Did you believe that my powers are that feeble? Hah. That bitch stinks so much that even I could pick up her scent! And if I could smell it, then poor Shippo must be in agony!" she screamed.

Inuyasha's eyes and face was filled with heartbreak and despair.

He watched as she went toward Sango and Miroku and picked up her backpack and put it on her shoulder.

Sango turned toward her and asked her in a soft voice where she was going.

"Don't worry Sango. I'll be okay. We'll see each other again." She said and turned toward Miroku.

"Take care of them while I'm gone Miroku." He looked at her with sad eyes and nodded his head, understanding what she was trying to tell him.

Kagome turned again, this time toward Shippo. He looked at her with eyes full of tears.

"Come here, my sweet boy." Shippo ran to her and jumped in her arms. "I won't be gone forever," she whispered in his ear. "I could never leave my son, now could I? Remember Shippo, no matter what, I love you okay? You're the man in charge now. Goodbye for now Shippo." And with a soft squeeze, she turned and walked away.

They watched as she walked away from them, until they could see her no more.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered. "Kagome..." Inuyasha said again and ran into the forest. He jumped higher and higher onto a tree, trying desperately to escape the pain filling his chest. The others didn't go after him, didn't even look in the direction he had went off to... they were too busy with their own feelings at the moment.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Please review and I will try to update soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha….I wish I did….**

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Two: Shadowed Truth

Everywhere that they checked they couldn't find her. They asked every village they had come across yet no one had seen the futuristic miko. They had all been searching for her the past month, yet, no luck. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. Inuyasha even went down the well to see if Kagome was on the other side but she wasn't there…and he had to explain to a very angry mother why he was searching for her daughter when she was suppose to be traveling with him. Now he knows where Kagome got her iron from. Mrs. Higurashi looked as if she were going to rip off Inuyasha's little hanyou ears.

They were all very worried about her... what if she'd gotten attacked by demons? Probably... after all... she had the jewel shards. They had run into a few demons when they were searching for Kagome, and they now had four shards... pretty much in a month.

Now, the group had stopped to rest at an inn. Inuyasha sat by a table. He had his head between his hands... he looked terrible. His hair was a mess and his clothes were dirty. His eyes were filled with emptiness and his voice hoarse. Of course... he never showed anyone... at least he thought he didn't. Everyone in the group could see how miserable he was... he wasn't very good at hiding it. They had tried to cheer him up once in a while but it never worked.

They all knew that their beloved friend was the reason he fought so well. The cocky half-demon who rushed into any fight without thinking has almost become the opposite. He walks quietly ahead of the group and stops for camp before the rest could complain that they were tired. He still has little squabbles with Shippo, but even those weren't like they used to be…how the mighty have fallen.

Shippo watched Inuyasha... he was the one who had taken this the hardest... after all...he'd known her from the start, from the first she arrived in this time. Ok, so maybe Kaede had known her for a short moment longer than him but he had certainly spent more time with her than Kaede had. Shippo was very sad about Kagome being gone too... she had been the first one to be nice to him since his father had died... without her... he'd be dead by now... He knew that Inuyasha wouldn't be alive either; Kagome had saved him lot of times, without her... Inuyasha wouldn't have the Tetsusaiga; he would still be stuck to that tree even!

Shippo sighed and jumped out the window. He had nothing to do when Kagome was gone. It was so boring around here. She always knew how to start a conversation... but without her everybody was so quiet. Shippo doesn't like it when people were so quiet... because that meant sadness.

Sango was sad... no question about it. Kagome had been special... the most special girl she'd ever met. She could always bring cheerfulness to the group, with her voice, and her laughter. Kagome had also been a girl, and the others weren't, so she felt much more comfortable talking to Kagome than anyone else. Sango sighed and watched the sky above her; she was sitting beside a small little lake. She loved the water, shimmering and beautiful.

Every time they got to a hot spring or at least some water warm enough to bathe in, Kagome always insisted on taking a dip. Sango wondered why Kagome was so obsessed with keeping clean; she had never met anyone who bathed as often as Kagome. Sango smiled, yes indeed, she was a very special girl. Then Sango's smile disappeared. But Kagome was gone, she had left…at least for now. Sango didn't know if Kagome could still be alive... she must have been attacked by demons... after all... she was carrying the shards with her. But Kagome had powers... maybe… maybe she'd been able to protect herself.

Miroku was thinking along the same lines as the others. That crazy, cheerful, sprite of a girl was very dear to him. He loved her as though she were his little sister. There were so many little quirks and oddities about her that you couldn't help but like her.

But he understood the anguish that burned in her eyes. That raw anger at the fact almost nobody had seen her as herself. They had only seen her as a reincarnation. Yes there was Sango, Shippo, Kouga, Kaede, and himself that saw her as she is. But who else did? All others loved her…but they only saw her as a warmer Kikyou.

Speaking of Kikyou, the undead priestess had paid them a visit just yesterday. She approached them and asked for a few moments to speak with them all. Even though Inuyasha was in heartbreak right now, he jumped at the opportunity to be near his old flame.

The former miko asked to join the group in their travels and aid them in the destruction of Naraku. As Sango opened her mouth to protest angrily, Kikyou raised a hand to stop her.

"I ask not of you to befriend me taijiya. I only ask of a traveling partner. Besides, seeing as my reincarnation is not here, you will need some help in locating the jewel shards. Correct?" said Kikyou.

Sango closed her mouth and looked at her with narrow eyes.

"Why is it that you come now to travel with us? Why now when Kagome is not here?" she asked.

"I believe that is my information, demon slayer, and none of your business." replied Kikyou coolly.

"Since we are calling each other what we are, there should be no problem with me calling you a dead, soul stealing whore!" Sango said with an angry growl.

"How dare!" yelled Kikyou as her purification powers sparked "I am as much of a whore as you are to being beautiful! Which is none at all!"

"You little slut!" screamed Sango.

Kikyou quickly reached behind her and knocked an arrow into her bow and pointed it at the taijiya.

"I should show you a thing or two" growled Kikyou.

Sango grabbed her hiraikos and readied it to throw. "Bring it bitch!"

At this point Miroku grabbed Sango and tried to drag her away from the undead priestess, while Inuyasha did the same to vice versa. As both males tried to calm the women down, they girls shot death glares at each other, hating the other with passion. It took a while but finally things cooled down enough for the four near-adults to have a civil conversation.

"So will you allow me to travel with you?" asked Kikyou.

Inuyasha automatically said yes. After a great deal of thinking, Sango grudgingly agreed and Miroku agreed because Sango had. But that night as the Inutachi settled down for camp Sango walked over to the place where Inuyasha was standing alone and far from the others prying ears. As she stepped next to him, he turned around and looked at her.

"What?" he asked.

Sango looked at him, her face half hidden by the shadows.

"You disgust me right now." She said in a cold quiet voice.

Inuyasha looked at her with surprise. "What?! Why?!"

Sango gave a small sad chuckle. "Did you not hear yourself just now? As soon as that bitch asked to join us you leapt up and said of course! Never thinking are you?"

"Hey! Don't call Kikyou a bitch!" growled Inuyasha angrily.

Sango looked at him, disgust evident in her expression. "Your childhood really must have screwed you up. You don't give a damn about any of us. All you care about is Kikyou. Defending her without a thought. You sicken me."

Inuyasha watched as she turned her back on him and started to walk back to camp, when suddenly she paused. He could only see the shadowy outline of her figure and her whispered words carried over to him.

"I can't blame Kagome for leaving. I'd hate you too if I were her."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Thank you to all who reviewed chapter one. Please Review this chapter and let me know what you think and if I should continue. I will try to update soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha…can someone buy them for me?**

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Three: Deception

Kami, her body hurt like hell. Stupid boar demon! The idiot youkai slammed her into a boulder before she was able to purify it. She could really go for a relaxing bath in a hot spring right now….too bad there weren't any close by. The only lucky thing was that she wasn't filthy. She took longer strides as she made her way through the forest. She was in the Western territory and the last thing she wanted was a confrontation with the bastard ice prince. The asshole wasn't as stupid as Inuyasha, but that didn't make her like him any more than before.

As she took another step she saw something move in the corner of her eye. She paused and turned toward the shuffling coming from the bushes on her left. Readying herself into defensive maneuver, she pointed her bow at the suspicious movement.

Suddenly the shuffling stopped.

A crystal orb rolled out from beneath the bush and came to a stop at her foot. She looked down at it. Lowering her bow, she bent down and picked it up. The orb was beautiful, made of dazzling crystals and diamonds but allowing you to see inside the orb as well, sort of like a crystal ball.

Kagome looked closer at the orb; she thought she saw a flicker of something inside, like an image. Abruptly a light shot out of the sphere, a dark beam of purple luminosity blasted in front of her. With a startled yelp she dropped the orb on the ground and backed away.

"Why so surprised miko? Did you think I forgot about you?" came a voice from the sphere.

Kagome looked at the beam with shock. How could she hear Naraku's voice from an orb? Or was he here in the forest? With a quick turn she looked around the surrounding area to see if the hanyou was indeed by her.

"Kukuku!" laughed Naraku. "Don't fret, dear Kagome. I am not with you…as of yet. This is just a little bit of a warning. You have separated from your pathetic group, which means that you are unprotected, which also means you are very easy prey to me… you would do well to go back to your beloved Halfling."

This time it was Kagome who gave a cruel laugh. "Amazing. You tell me that I am easy prey for you, yet you approach me only by a sphere. That is truly pathetic. I suggest that you take your advice and shove it up your ass because I don't give a shit what you think."

"Now, now, Kagome, watch your language. No wonder you have been replaced so quickly." said Naraku in a snide voice.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the orb and said "What do you mean _'replaced'_?"

"Aww, I'm sorry to break it to you miko, but it seems like you weren't as important to your _'friends'_ as much as you thought. They have already allowed the undead priestess to travel with them and search for shards."

Kagome snorted with disbelief and rolled her eyes at the crystal orb. "Yeah, right, like Sango would actually let that whore travel with them."

The light from the orb expanded slightly and became an even darker shade of purple.

"If you would like proof miko…then I would be happy to oblige…."

And with that a second beam of light shot out of the orb, bright and silver, into the first. The two lights expanded until it became a rectangle in the air before her, morphing to look like a screen. All of a sudden Kagome was looking at the campsite of her former shard hunting partners.

First she saw Inuyasha and Miroku who were sitting near a huge tree, deep in conversation. Then came Shippo, who was playing with Kirara. The next image made Kagome's heart squelch tight with pain.

There they were, Sango and Kikyou standing near a stream having a calm, civil, and friendly conversation. Sango's back was turned so Kagome couldn't see her face, but she could see Kikyou's face clearly. And on that face was what looked like a happy smile.

It was enough to make Kagome shake with rage.

Then just as sudden as it started, the image was gone and so was the white light. Now the only thing left was the purple beam from before.

"Do you believe me now miko? You meant nothing to them. Even the one who you called sister went along with the idea of substituting you. But don't worry Kagome; you'll always be first in my book.

"Kukuku! Until another time priestess…." Chuckled Naraku as his voice began to fade. Slowly the purple light disappeared…as did the beautiful crystal orb.

For a while there was silence. Kagome's head had been tilted down, the shadows covering her face. But now slowly she looked up, her black hair whipping around her in the wind.

She looked at the place where the image of Sango and Kikyou had been.

Her chocolate eyes full of dark hatred.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

**(Later in the Day)**

Kagome sat near the water with a blank expression. She had been feeling his aura for a while now and was aware of him closing in on her. She continued to stare out at the water but opened her mouth to speak.

"Hello Sesshomaru."

Behind her was none other than the Western Lord, Sesshomaru Taisho, one of the most feared demons of Japan. But she didn't even turn around to look at him. His presence didn't make her even bat an eye.

There was silence after she spoke.

The demon lord was watching her as she sat with her back turned toward him, staring at the sparkling lake in front of them. He had been aware of her presence for quite a while now. It did surprise him that she was alone though. There was only one other time he had come across her by herself, and that was when she had been crying in the forest after watching his bastard brother and his dead whore rut. But this time she simply sat quietly, no tears or anything, just staring….

She had greeted him when he had approached. Yet she did not turn to face him. Stupid wench. Yes, she had powers of a priestess, but that made her no different than the other humans. They were greedy, selfish, and too curious for their own good. She would make such an easy kill right now…yes, a very easy kill. All he had to do was snap her neck and she'd be finished.

He looked at her with narrow, calculating eyes.

"Why are you on this Sesshomaru's land?" he asked in a tone that said either answer or die.

The miko gave a low chuckle. "I'll be off your land soon enough. And if I'm lucky, out of this god damned time." She said.

Sesshomaru knew that she was not from this time; he had learned that bit of information long ago. But he had always thought that this overly cheery ningen loved it here, he never thought that she would say anything with such detest in her voice.

"Where are the ones you travel with?" he asked.

"Somewhere." Said Kagome, still not facing him.

"That is not very specific wench," responded Sesshomaru with a small growl.

Kagome gave a loud cold, ringing laugh and finally turned to face the demon lord. As Sesshomaru looked at the girl head-on, he noticed that there was something different about her. It wasn't the black outfit that she had started to wear since she left Inuyasha a month ago. It wasn't the fingerless gloves that she wore on her hands. It wasn't the silky black bag that she now used to replace her yellow bag. It was her eyes. Her eyes which had become hard rocks of steel. The eyes that barely had a trace of warmth. The eyes that held no emotion.

Sesshomaru had seen people with many different expressions on their faces. But never had he seen one that was a complete replica of his. It was eerie.

"My apologies Sesshomaru, but you see, I have not been with the half-breed's group for a month now, so I wouldn't be able to tell you where exactly they are." She said coldly.

Sesshomaru eyed her as she talked. Yes, the girl had definitely changed...

"You are to be off my land by the end of the week" he told her callously. With that he turned to go, but stopped when he heard the words that she said quietly.

He spun around wondering if he had correctly heard what she just asked him. But when he looked at her eyes, he knew he was not mistaken. The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable. After a second he nodded.

Kagome slowly turned around to face the lake again. This time with a pitiless, satisfied smirk, knowing that the two-timing half-breed will soon take his last breath.

Her aura was glowing with loath.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Thank you everyone for reviewing. I appreciate the support and comments. Thank you to impulse960 for the correction. =]

And for those of you wondering what will happen next, keep reading and find out. There are quite a lot of shocking twists and turns coming up. Mwahahaha!

Please review and let me know what you think of chapter three.


	4. Chapter 4

I am sorry for the delay everyone. My computer went crazy and deleted every document I saved. So it might be a while until the next update. I am truly sorry.

-DA


	5. Chapter 5

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Four: Just Another Weapon

She looked at the corpse in front of her and sneered in disgust.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I swear to Kami that if you do anything to hurt Kagome or Inuyasha I will personally make sure that my hiraikotsu is shoved up your clay ass and doesn't get to see the light of day ever again!" hissed Sango.

Currently the demon slayer and undead priestess were standing, facing each other in front of a lake, a bit away from the group's prying ears. Kikyou had asked Sango to follow her so that they may "have a civil conversation".

Kikyou looked at the taijiya in front of her and smile sweetly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, dear Sango," she said in a repulsively sugary voice.

At that moment there was a disturbance in the air. But it was so tiny that they could barely feel it. And then as suddenly as it had come, it was gone.

Sango whipped around and stared at the space behind her. Seeing nothing, she turned back around and looked at Kikyou suspiciously.

"What was that?"

"What was what Sango?" asked Kikyou.

"Didn't you feel that? For a moment it was as if the air vibrated behind me," she said.

Kikyou shook her head and gave Sango a sympathetic smile. "You must be imagining things. Let us head back to camp." And with a flourish Kikyou left her standing in front of the lake and made her way back to where the guys were waiting.

Sango took a few steps to follow, but then stopped. Suddenly her heart clenched, and a shiver went down her back.

'_Something is wrong'_, she thought had a sickening feeling that it had something to do with Kagome.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

'Ahh, this sword would be perfect for me' thought Kagome.

She was currently browsing some shops that she came upon while passing a village. When she first entered the shop, the owner who was a middle aged man with a horrid attitude, gave her a dubious look and scoffed at her.

"This shop isn't for little girls. It is for strong men who are in need of fine weaponry. Now, why don't you go home and cook and clean like a good little housewife, hmm?" he sneered.

Let us just say that never again will the man ever say a degrading word about women. Kagome turned around slowly to face the man.

"What did you just say?" she hissed.

The man gave her a snide smile. "You are nothing but a mere woman, you are good for nothing else but filling my stomach, bearing me children, and cleaning homes."

Kagome chuckled. She looked at the defiant man with a glint in her eye.

"You know, normally I would just walk away, but you see I've been rethinking about the way I let people treat me lately and to say the least I am not very pleased. If you think that it is only men who could kick your ass, then let me show you how much damage I can do."

With that Kagome stretched her arms in front of her with her hand in a vertical pose, so that her palms were facing the shop keeper and closed her eyes. Slowly, something like a fiery purple-pink inferno started to engulf her. It started at her feet and made its way up, until covered her completely. With a snap Kagome opened her eyes. Her hair flew around her though there was no open wind in the shop.

The man had cowered before her, trembling in both fear and awe of the sight before him. Never before had he seen such a display of power and grace, especially from a woman. '_This strange woman walked into my shop as if she had no need for another's opinion, and fought back when I insulted her'_ he thought. Then as if he had suddenly realized how much danger he was in, his eyes widened as the full effect of the situation dawned on him.

Kagome stared at the man with distaste. "Now, let's see if you'll still have the same attitude toward me when I'm finished." She said.

Without any effort, a thick tendril of fiery purple-pink power raced toward the man. But just as it was about to hit him he cried out,

"Please! Miss, forgive me! I apologize for insulting you, it was extremely foolish of me, and I as reconciliation I offer you any weapons you may need from my shop, free of charge!"

The large beam of power came to a halt only an inch away from his face. Slowly Kagome drew it back toward her and little by little the inferno disappeared and her hair gently fell back into place.

"Alright." She said simply and turned away. She turned her back on him and walked over to the shelves of which she was currently browsing.

The shop keeper watched as she picked up a sword and carefully inspected it. Still shocked that she had stopped her attack so easily and moved on, he stood there in newfound respect for the oddly dressed girl.

Kagome looked at the sword once more before giving it a curt nod. She picked it up and then moved on to another rack, which held hundreds of different daggers and knives. As she scanned the walls a set of knives caught her eyes.

A set of six knives lay next to each other. There were two that were extremely thin but razor sharp that she could fit in her bra without anyone noticing. Two that were long but extremely deadly looking that she could fit into her boots. And the final two were average looking daggers but were anything but that. These last two knives were so sharp that a dragon's hide could be sliced, and dragon skin is the toughest thing in the world, especially since it was of magic quality.

These would be held on her waist next to where her sword would be held. Picking all of these objects up, she walked over to the shop keeper.

"I'll take these," she said.

"Of course miss, and as I said they are free of charge."

Kagome looked at the man dead in the eye and said "I threatened you to prove my ability; I did not do it so that I can have freebies. I have higher standards than that." With that Kagome placed money on the table next to her to pay for the weapons and walked out of the shop, armed and dangerous.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

It really did catch him off guard. He didn't expect something like that to come out of the wench's mouth. But it was quite a proposal and he was known for making the perfect deals in benefiting himself. That half-breed is a waste of space, and it would do Japan good if he wasn't there to tar its reputation. Hmm, just maybe he might accept her offer. After all, one more death wouldn't make too much of a difference. Especially when it means he adds a new weapon to his collection.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

Please review and let me know what you think. Good, bad, or ugly. Death threats are also welcome :)

Check out my other story Infinity and let me know what you think. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Five: A Searching

He watched as she lay beneath the tree with her eyes closed. He knew he was a monk and was supposed to be understanding of all things, but this was something he could barely take. It took all of his will power to not get up and stop the ungodly things she was doing.

Miroku clenched his fist in unusual anger as Kikyou absorbed yet another soul into her dead body. Each of her soul collectors carrying silver orbs to the one they obeyed.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" asked Sango. She had just walked up to him and followed his angry gaze. Unsurprisingly, she realized that he was watching Kikyou. For the past two hours she just laid in the shade, soaking power from the poor trapped souls being dropped onto her.

"Sango, I was taught to protect the lives and souls of humans, but what am I to do when it is Kikyou who is doing such things?" he asked.

She shook her head sadly and replied to him in a quiet voice, "Right now, there is nothing we can do. As much as I hate to say it, we need her, at least to find Kagome…and speaking of her; I have a bad feeling about this."

"A bad feeling about what? About finding her you mean?"

Sango nodded, "Yes, I can't exactly place it, but there is definitely something wrong, I feel as if when we find her, she won't be the same girl we knew."

"Yes, that was my thought also. Perhaps it is my imagination Sango, but do you think that things have been a bit too calm lately? Naraku hasn't shown up for quite a while and suddenly Kikyou shows up, deciding she wants to "help" us find Kagome,"

The demon slayer sighed softly, "Right now I really don't have any idea of what to think. Except for one thing, that dead whore is pissing me off by absorbing those souls."

The monks' eyes narrowed in agreement to her words. And as if she could sense that they were talking about her, Kikyou suddenly turned her head toward them, looking them straight in the eyes… a smirk on her clay face.

"OI! MIROKU! SANGO! COME HERE!" called Inuyasha, startling them out of their staring contest with Kikyou. The two of them got up and started walking to where the half-demon was.

"What is it Inuyasha?" asked Sango

"I think I smelled Kagome right now when the wind shifted." He said, his voice lowering as he said Kagome's name.

"What? Where is it coming from?" asked Miroku, now at full attention. There was a determined look in his purple eyes that showed he was dead serious about finding the girl who was like a sister to him.

"She's heading north-west. Idiot girl, she knows that's where the bastard lives." Inuyasha said with a grimace.

"You mean Sesshomaru right?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, that damn fuck-head, that's exactly what I mean," said the half-demon with disgust lacing every word.

"That's enough Inuyasha; we don't have time for you childish opinions on your brother. We need to find Kagome and I don't want to waste yet another day listening to you complain about how Sesshomaru thinks he's better than everyone. Got it?" said Miroku, with a fierceness that was unexpected.

For a minute Inuyasha looked taken aback. There were a few other times when Miroku got angry, but right now his eyes were burning with a purple fire. Sango looked at the monk with clouded eyes, seeing him with such angry passion in his voice did something to her. The insides of her stomach flipped around and around and she suddenly had the urge to kiss him roughly. She wanted to feel him pull her down on the grass and feel him hands pressed against her….

"….you got that Sango?" asked Inuyasha

Startled, Sango came out of her odd daydream. "Uh, sorry, could you repeat that?" she asked blushing.

"I said we're going to go north-west and hunt Kagome down. You're goin to stay with Miroku. Kikyou is gonna be with me. This is getting to be a real pain in the ass so let's just find her and bring her back." He replied.

With a nod Miroku and Sango packed their belongings and both climbed onto the now transformed Kirara. Inuyasha crouched down and waited for Kikyou to climb his back.

"What are you waiting for? Jump on," he told her.

Kikyou shook her head gently and said "If you don't mind too much Inuyasha, My shinidamachuu will carry me, after all your back is a place that belongs to Kagome. It is where she rides,"

The half demon, monk, demon slayer, and fire cat stared at the undead priestess with surprise evident in their expressions. What she had just done…looked as if it was genuinely sincere. Inuyasha gave himself a quick jerk of the head and nodded to show that it was fine with him.

After a few more minutes the gang took off, four in the air and one running on the ground. Miroku, who sat behind Sango holding on to her waist, leaned close to her ear and murmured:

"Do you think it was a good idea to leave Shippo behind with Kaede? I would think that if our odd vibes that we are receiving mean anything, Kagome would want to see him out of anyone,"

Sango moved her head slightly so she could see him through her peripheral vision. "Be that as it may, he is a child, and he shouldn't have to see the difficulty we are going through" she said.

"I think you forget, my dear, that even being the smallest of us, he has faced troubles just as big as ours. He watched as his own father is murdered before him. Kagome is now like a mother figure to him. Although we think we are shielding him, he most likely knows everything that is happening…perhaps even more than us."

Sango sighed knowing that the monk may indeed be right. "I just don't know anymore Miroku. We need to find Kagome and bring her back. That's it." She said, shaking her head to move the hair that was blowing in her face.

Miroku was silent for a moment.

"Do not assume Sango. For whether she may come back with us is a notion that is unknown. There are other forces at hand…and for all we know…one of us may not make it back as well."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Alright, that's another chapter up and posted. Yes, I know it's a bit short and I'm really sorry, and I also know it's been a ridiculously long amount of time since I've updated but I hope you enjoyed. Click that green button and tell me what you think. I love hearing your opinions, comments, thoughts and ideas.

Leave a review for the hungry author, it'll be greatly appreciated =)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha....but one day... ONE DAY i might! MWHAHAHA

*sigh* who am I kidding? I won't ever own them =(

anyways, ON WITH THE STORY!

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Seven: "Eye" See You

It's riveting how power can take over one's world. To become taken by it, only to see, breathe, feel, and crave it. But what exactly is power? The gift to heal, to help, to make a positive impact…the ability to destruct, cause fear, have all that one desires. So the question is: how do you get such abilities? You can be born into it. You can marry into it. But none of those are true power because in order to get what you are searching, you can only take it by force.

Death is a mysterious thing indeed. You wonder if there is an afterlife, or perhaps you **hope** there is because the unknown is a being's greatest fear. For what if when you have passed from this world and there is nothing? Many humans pray, seeking a higher power, hoping that there might be someone else pulling their strings.

This search is to console them because without that belief there is only emptiness…only fear. They say death can bring peace onto a trouble soul, but it can cause absolute chaos to those who are still living.

By killing a ruler you throw all order out the window and replace it with frantic confusion. But with the right timing and some manipulation you can become the next ruler. You take the place of the one you have killed and suddenly the entire country is in the palm of your hand, obeying the slightest order you give. The power of controlling another is so fascinating…it is at times irresistible, tempting you, convincing you that your desires can be granted.

Temptation. Another interesting thought. It is a feeling that can lead you astray and allows you to do the darkest of deeds. Lust, greed, envy, gluttony, wrath and pride. These are the seven deadly sins that all lead back to temptation, death, and power. A being can only be so pure in life, but none can exist without a balance of darkness. A soul can be pitched into evil or shielded with good. But what of those with both? What do we make of those who have a balance of these two extraordinary features?

Are they normal, average, just a regular being? Or are they nothing? Nothing, because they do not stand out, they don't glow with the hatred of the underworld or shine with the kindness of the clouded skies?

Or are they nothing…because we hope they are?

* * *

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

* * *

The fight made her blood pump with exhilaration. She loved the burn in the arms, the ache in her legs, the way her mind is suddenly cleared and she is left with nothing but focus. The bandits were no match at all for her, but they were definitely a nice exercise. She flipped her hair out of her face and bent down to search the corpses for useful weapons. She trailed her hands along the inside of the leader's overcoat, trying to see if there were perhaps hidden knives inside. Her fingertips found the handle of something so with a tug she pulled it out.

She smirked at the childish knife in her hand. It was blunt, stubby, and would be of no use to her. She flinged it on the ground and got back up on her feet. Six dead men lay sprawled before her, some showing open wounds and others showing no mark at all of how they had died.

That filled her with an odd satisfaction, her new tricks made such quick and easy kills, not to mention clean. After all, it was so much more time consuming when you make a mess of things.

Many people have heard of pressure points, used a lot in Japanese fighting. A pressure point in the field of martial arts refers to an area on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner.

Well, Kagome took the idea of pressure points to a whole new level. All she needs is the idiocy of those who wish to undermine her, and tah-da, they're on the ground, unable to ever wake again. No, she's not an evil witch, when something or someone crosses her in the wrong way, her first thought isn't murder. Half the time she just hurts them enough to get away or make them leave. But when the situation calls for it, she'll do what she needs to do. No hesitation.

Though she doesn't search for situations where she needs to commit murder, she revels in the fight. She loves the way her blood pumps harder in her veins, the way her heart beats faster and faster. It was exciting to see the control that she has, the power…

Speaking of power… he does have a lot, doesn't he?

Kagome smirked to herself as her thoughts wondered toward the demon that knows perhaps better than anyone the love she is gaining toward a fight. Yes, he must indeed know the feelings she experiences when making a clean kill. He, who rules the west. He, who has the stealth of the shadows. He, who has surpassed almost all in the art of war.

Ahh, it's quite refreshing to be able to think without the hanyou clouding her thoughts. She had never been able to go out and fight on her own terms before. Always, she had needed rescuing with the help from him or the houshi, or even the taijiya. But this is such a welcome change…so freeing.

Kagome walked through the forest, putting space between herself and the dead bandits behind her. What should she do now? It was a nice day out, with the exception of the wind; it gave occasional hard gusts of wind, causing her hair to blow wildly around her. But anyway, she was bored at the moment. She usually traveled and trained during daylight hours and rested in the evening but she didn't feel like doing that today. No, today her body was restless, urging for Kagome to do something.

She looked around her and saw with glee that the scenery was changing slowly. The leaves were turning beautiful shades of gold, red, orange, and purple and the air was starting to get colder and colder. She was traveling north but she remained on the border of the western territories. No need to worry about getting off the Mighty Prick's land, it was like they had come upon an unspoken agreement. She was not welcomed to wonder freely, but she was neither an invader to his ground.

Hmm, she didn't like him, but she preferred his cold, silent, haughty demeanor to the brashness of his half-brother.

As she thought about Inuyasha she felt her fury slowly start to rise. The time away from the group had not cooled her hatred toward him…not to mention the adding of the betrayal from Sango. How could she? She was like a sister to her.

Was. That's the key word here. No longer shall she ever be considered to be family. Kagome was also angry at Miroku at first, for going along with the idea of letting Kikyou travel with them, but that had fizzled out because she can't blame him too much. He loved Sango and would go along with whatever she wanted, even if he was ordered to sacrifice himself to the saimyosho.

To Kagome, he was still loyal and he was forgiven but the anger she felt at Sango and Inuyasha was staggering. Now, as for Kikyou, well, she was put in the Naraku category. She had always disliked the undead miko for clinging onto Inuyasha, but she understood the influence of lost, past love. But the recent events made her shake with a feeling that can't be truly described. On her list now, the clay body that had a part of her soul was number one to be destroyed and Naraku was number two. Inuyasha isn't going to be numbered because she'll see to his demise whenever she gets the chance. It could either be before Kikyou, after Naraku, in between the two, or hell, it could even be while she kills either of them.

Kagome let out a sigh. There was only one being on her mind now, and his small, childish face filled with laughter was stuck in her thoughts. Shippou is such a sweet child. He was playful and funny, knowing how to put a smile on Kagome's face but he also had an astonishing intellectual level. Most don't see his thoughtfulness and the resourcefulness that he has. He understands situations better than most adults and is quick to find the truth of things.

Kagome looked up and her eyes widened at the dark that had fallen around her. It was nighttime and she hadn't noticed, so lost in her thoughts was she. Thankfully there was wood nearby in within only a few minutes she has a roaring fire that splashed her with warmth and she lay inside her sleeping bag.

The miko looked up at the stars that shined above her. It was so beautiful, radiating peace and wonder. In her time the air was so thick with pollution that the heavens were gray with fumes, but here the nighttime sky shone twinkled with natural lights.

Suddenly a small rustle to her left sounded. Within a flash Kagome was up on her feet, with an arrow pointing to where the sound had come from. Again the rustle was heard, this time a bit louder. She didn't know why but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up with alarm. A feeling of dread overcame her and her body shook slightly. There was something wrong…something very wrong here.

"Come out now, or I'll shoot," called Kagome. She struggled to keep her voice even and calm.

In response the rustle sounded again, this time more violent and louder. It wouldn't stop, the sound continued and fear clogged Kagome's throat. Her miko powers flashed, sending a pink, purplish glow over her camping area.

Slowly a black fog creeped toward her on the ground, slithering closer and closer; it wrapped itself around her feet and gradually moved up.

"Stop it! Who's there?! Show yourself!" shouted Kagome. Quickly she shot her charged arrow where she thought the source of the fog was coming from, but it didn't stop. Instead, it came faster and thicker, engulfing her fully.

Kagome choked as it swallowed her up. "No!" she thought, "oh Kami, what the hell?!"

She felt the fog press against her, squeezing her and then…

There was darkness.

* * *

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

* * *

She was frozen, it felt like she was standing and her eyes were open, but it was pitch black, it was like she was staring into nothingness. That's when she saw it; two tiny pinpricks from far away. They were very slowly getting bigger, as if they were moving toward her. She squinted, trying to see what it was, but it was fruitless, she would just have to wait until it came closer.

After a few more moments, or hours, or perhaps weeks, (she couldn't tell in this weird black place), the used to be pinpricks were close enough for her to be able to just make them out if she strained. Kagome squinted and concentrated with all her might to see what it was that was moving toward her. Her eyes widened as she finally made out what the objects were.

Terror screamed from every pore in her body. She has to get away. She had to move now! But her body was stuck, she couldn't move her legs or arm, actually, she couldn't even feel them. Were they even there?!

She tried to look away but her body wouldn't obey. Kagome longed to scream because the two dots that are rushing toward her even faster now are…eyes.

They are red eyes that filled her with horror. Their pupils are just a black dot of a boat, swimming in a sea of blood. They're a rectangular shape that ended in points at the end.

Finally…they arrived. The two eyes floated in front of her face, each one of enormous size…perhaps each the size a small hut.

That's when she realized it…this wasn't happening in the Western Forest…No.

This was taking place inside her mind.

* * *

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

* * *

NOOOO! Somehow my other story, Infinity got deleted! I have no idea how or why but its gone! like KAPOW, gone! *cries* It had 14 Chapters and the story is completely gone! I can't even re-upload all of it because my stupid computer erased my saved documents ='(

I'm extremely upset right now but I decided to upload today to say thanks to everyone who's review this story and my other story.

So here it is everyone, the next chapter of Deeper Than Hatred. I hope you all liked it. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed the past chapters.

Leave one for this one, good, bad, or ugly. Every opinion matters.

Anyway, until next time readers.

*cries again*


	8. Chapter 8

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Eight: To Be Changed

This was the end; she was going to die inside her own mind.

She felt the heat the two large eyes gave off, but if it was so hot, why was it so cold? She felt such terror; yet part of her was calm. It was so dark, yet she could still see. Why? Why was everything such a contradiction? Why was she there, or rather why was she not going anywhere?

She squeezed her eyes shut, and bowed her head down, unwilling to look at the monstrous eyes, the eyes that seemed as if they would be her death.

She waited, not knowing what she was waiting for, yet she knew she must wait. Seconds, minutes, or perhaps hours had past, and finally the being spoke.

Its voice sent tremors down her back; it had a deep, guttural, inhumane voice, one that made Kagome feel as safe as a toddler in a forest fire.

"It will be soon," it said.

Confusion flooded Kagome as she wondered what that _thing_ was talking about.

"You know precisely what I mean. Your time shall be soon. It has already begun, and so far you have gladly welcomed it,"

Welcomed it? Welcome what? Kami, she knew she was insane especially if this was taking place inside her mind, but she must have reached a new level of insanity if she couldn't figure out what something in her own mind was telling her.

"Your change girl, do you not see? The process has begun and you have readily morphed for the first stage."

Perhaps it was outright confusion, or perhaps outright idiocy, but at this point Kagome looked up to speak to the thing. The first thing she noticed was that there was no mouth; the voice of the thing seemed to be coming from all directions even though the eyes were a few mere feet away.

Slowly, gathering her courage she asked, "I don't know what you are, or what you are talking about, so please Mr. Monster-thing, explain."

The _thing's _eyes narrowed as Kagome addressed it. She was a fool, an idiotic fool. She might have reached the first level of change but her mind is still that of an ignorant human. Perhaps it should give her a small _push_….

"You ask me questions and so…you shall receive answers,"

Maybe it was the way the thing paused, or maybe it was the way it hissed out that sentence… but right away she knew she should have kept her mouth closed. Without warning the thing's eyes widened, more and more, the black and red stretching, and it felt as if Kagome was looking into hell itself.

Burning, she was burning. Why was it so hot? Wait, what was that? Pricking? No, stabbing. Something was stabbing her. What the hell was stabbing her?

And then she screamed.

The sound ripped from her throat, bursting from her body as she screamed the most guttural scream one had ever made. She felt it rip into her, shredding her body and skin to slices; her blood warm, running down the broken pieces of skin. Her bones shattered, her ligaments snapped. Blood. So much blood. She was going to die from the pain.

It entered her; whatever it was that was hurting her entered her. She felt it in her chest moving rapidly. She gasped for air, trying to keep breathing, but then she felt it.

It broke her. It took her. It destroyed her.

Because in that moment she knew…it got her soul.

She felt it wrap around it and pull. She was wrong before; the pain from the destruction of her body was nothing to what she felt now. She cried out repeatedly as her soul was ripped from her. Her screams echoed in her mind, continuous howls coming one after another.

She felt herself slipping away, slipping into the darkness. Oh how she welcomed it, that place where there was no pain, that dark place where she can call sanctuary.

And so she closed her bloody eyes… and she slipped away.

X

O

X

O

X

O

X

O

X

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

She opened her eyes and saw the stars twinkling high above her. Slowly she got to her feet and looked at her marked arm. Her lips twisted upward and she let out a low, mad chuckle.

She didn't die…she's just been reborn.


	9. Chapter 9

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Nine: What is to Become

_Two years and a half years later…_

His breath was ragged and uneven as he dodged another attack from her. As he landed back on his feet to face her, he felt the stings from the wounds inflicted upon him. Each slice not only ripped into his outer flesh, but into his heart as well.

He couldn't bring himself to strike her down, hell, even if he wanted to he couldn't; she was going too fast, continually moving, always seeming to know where his next move was.

Oh how she had changed…he could only wonder what had happened since her abrupt departure so many moons ago. Where was his sweet miko?...Where was his love?... Where was his Kagome?

He knew who the woman in front of him was, but his heart still fought against it. His Kagome would never have brought down a blade on her friend. His Kagome would never have looked at him in such hatred…His Kagome would never have teamed up with Sesshomaru.

But with each reason he gave himself to believe that this wasn't the same girl, the more he realized the truth. She was no longer his. He had stolen her from him.

That bastard, always taking everything: the family honor, the full demon blood, his father's love, and now he had taken Kagome too.

His head throbbed and his eyes burned as she looked at her. The wind picked up speed, causing her hair to flare around her and her clothing to whip.

Clothing.

Gone was her school girl outfit. Gone was her miko outfit. Gone was her black fighting outfit. Instead, it was replaced with a uniform of the Western Lands. She fought beside _him_, doing as she commands. She was now under the employ of Sesshomaru and he didn't like it one bit.

Had he really damaged her that badly? Had he really been so cruel to her? But as he looked at her now he couldn't help but think that it was her that was now the cruel one.

She had been standing on top of a small hill when he spotted her. They're eyes were locked on each other as he went running toward her with all the speed he had. He slowed to a stop a few feet away when he realized she wasn't alone. And there in all his glory was none other than the ruler of the West.

"Kagome! Kagome I found you! What are you doing with _him_?! Don't you know how long it's taken me to even get close to you? Come here! Kagome!" he had called to her.

He waited for a response but her reply was only silence. Each second she didn't speak caused more uneasiness to well inside him. Then, after a few more minutes, Sesshomaru turned and lowered his head slightly, putting his mouth to Kagome's ear and Inuyasha watched as he whispered something to her.

As the taiyoukai straightened back up, the miko turned to look at him and replied with something Inuyasha couldn't make out. Sesshomaru nodded to her. Kagome turned back to once again look at Inuyasha and slowly, she started moving toward him. Her footsteps barely made a sound as she walked across the grassy space between them. She walked with grace and purpose, her eyes never straying from his.

With one more step she came to a stop before him, only three-fourths of an arm away.

Again Inuyasha tried to speak to her.

"Well? What the hell is up with the silent act? And aren't you going to answer my question? Why the hell are you traveling with that fuck-head?"

The response he got was one that was not expected. As soon as the word left his mouth, Kagome raised her fist and gave a crushing blow to his jaw.

The impact made a cracking sound and with a thump the hanyou was thrown on his back from the force.

"You will not, under any circumstance, speak of Lord Sesshomaru that way." She said in a cold authoritative voice.

Rubbing his jaw Inuyasha looked up at her in shock. She just punched him! _She_ just punched _him_!

He got up angrily and yelled, "What the fuck was that for you wench?!"

BAM

In a flash Kagome spun and brought up her right leg, slamming a crushing kick to the side of Inuyasha's head.

"You will address me with respect. Do not make me repeat myself again. Perhaps I shouldn't have kicked you in the head, you've lost enough brain cells," she told him.

His temple now throbbing, Inuyasha stumbled to his feet. Looking past her, he shot a glare to the taiyoukai.

"You! You did this to her didn't you? I'll kick your fucking ass!" Dodging past Kagome he started running toward Sesshomaru. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and brought it out before him, the Tetsusaiga transforming into the large fang it is. "WIND SCAR!" he yelled, slashing into the air. The power attack flew from his sword and rushed to where Sesshomaru stood. Calm as can be, Sesshomaru raised the hilt of Tenseiga and deflected it.

Inuyasha growled in frustration and raised his arms to launch another attack. But before he could utter a word he felt something thin and sharp pressed against his neck. Lowering his eyes he saw that the object was a sword that was in the hands of none other than Kagome.

He tried to step away but she pressed the blade even closer to his neck, drawing a thin line of blood.

This was insane! Why the hell was she holding a sword to his throat? Sesshomaru was the enemy here! Had she forgotten he tried to kill her?!

He didn't want to hurt her but he needed her out of his way so he took his sword and brought it up to meet with hers. They clanged against each other, sword versus sword.

He took a step back and was about to lower his sword when her felt a stinging on his side. Kagome had whirled around, seeing an opening and slashed at him, cutting through his fire-rat robe.

He stared at her in shock as he felt the blood drip down his body. But he didn't have time to stand still because she was coming at him again. Over and over he blocked her attacks, but unfortunately for him most of them met their aim. His body stung from the abuse of the future miko.

He panted as he once again yelled his accusation. "You did this Sesshomaru! You did this to her!" He gasped for breath, realizing just how much energy this was taking.

"No Inuyasha…" he heard coming from a low voice behind Kagome. "You did this to her."

That was the last thing he heard because suddenly there was a heavy blow to his stomach and the back of his head. As he fell to the ground and faded into darkness he saw Kagome…her eyes were still locked on to his.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

She looked at him as he lay unconscious on the ground. He seemed like the same half demon she had left so long ago…yes, there didn't seem to be much difference, besides the fact he looked tired and stressed with slightly dark circles under his eyes, as if he hasn't slept for months.

Her new control allowed her to keep her emotions in check, but staring at the hanyou she had loved and cherished made a crack in her resistance.

It had been two and a half years ago when she left with the intent to become powerful and independent. It was two and a half years ago when her heart filled with hatred and she vowed to take his life from him, as well as the dead priestess who had stolen part of her soul. Now the time had come.

She stood over the half demon with the point of her sword over his heart. One plunge would be all it takes to get rid of him forever. But again another crack formed as she looked at him.

She felt the heat from the gaze of her lord from behind her. He knew this was her move. It was her turn to move on the chess board.

And then for the first time in two and a half years she shattered. Her hand clenched tighter around the hilt of the sword as everything she had thought she had locked away poured over her. Her entire journey from that night where she gazed up at the stars, locked into the madness of her own mind took hold of her.

She let out a heartbroken cry and took both hands and grabbed the hilt of the sword.

As tears streamed from her eyes, she raised it high above her and plunged it down with all the force she had.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

There you go everyone, that was chapter nine, and I know I take forever to update and I'm sorry, hopefully you all won't hate me too much.

I'm sure most of you are wondering what all of this was all about and are confused from the transition of the last chapter to this one, but trust me it'll all be explained.

This chapter is like a fast forward, taking place two and a half years in the future from when she first left the group. But the next chapter will be like a rewind, starting off from where it left off in chapter eight. Each chapter will tell of how we got to this point in time.

I ended this one with a bit of a cliffy; Kagome raises the sword above and plunges it down. Only, Inuyasha is also happens to be beneath her. Did Kagome kill him? How did Kagome get to be with Sesshomaru? Why was she wearing the uniform of the Western Lands?

Keep reading and you'll get your answers. In the meantime, leave a review and let me know what you think. I really appreciate the suggestions, compliments and critiques because it helps with writing this story.

Anyway, that was chapter nine and I hope you enjoyed it. =)

-D.A


	10. Chapter 10

Deeper Than Hatred

Written BY: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Ten: Who is the Enemy?

I see my enemy  
across the battlefield,  
hold my weapon  
and raise a shield

Should I surrender?  
or stand and fight?  
there she is,  
in plain sight

She tells me she's the future  
but the future's far away,  
I have my own opinion  
and my own words to say

But this is it  
I stand and take a shot,  
there's a burst of pain  
with a faint little "pop"

I look down  
and its blood that I see,  
turns out my only enemy…  
was me

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"My Lord, forgive me for disturbing you, this lowly one knows his place sir, and he would never interrupt my liege without reason. Please don't mind my lord, I know mighty Lord Sesshomaru has greater needs that are more worthy of his attention…" rambled on the imp.

"Jaken," came a sharp voice from Sesshomaru who was getting increasingly aggravated from his retainer's groveling, "your reason for intruding upon my reading?"

Jaken gulped nervously. "Of course my lord, my apologies. An urgent letter had arrived requesting your attention. It seems as though there has been another attack on a village."

"Type?"

"The same my lord, the same female,"

This was indeed curious. This was the fourth disturbance in three days, all reported to be done by a human female. Jaken watched as Sesshomaru sat silently behind his desk in thought, when he asked,

"Damage?"

"Another massacre with nothing stolen," replied the short green demon.

Again the taiyoukai succumbed back into silence.

How was it possible that a human, nonetheless a female at that, manage to obliterate the people of four villages? And why go through the trouble if not for thievery? Well, besides the many lives stolen. Either this was not a human female, or it was with another's bidding.

"Prepare Ah-Un. We will depart for the village,"

"Right away my lord,"

Sesshomaru watched as the imp scrambled out of his study in haste to do as told. He needs to see for himself what destruction has made home in his lands. He will get to the bottom of this and whoever is responsible shall find their life forfeit…especially since this is taking time away from his reading.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kagome woke up to bright sunshine and fresh, crisp, morning air. She gave a yawn then stretched herself, looking around in a bit of confusion. The stiffness and throbbing in her torso and neck told her she was asleep for quite a long time which might also explain for the disorientating feeling she had. As Kagome rubbed her head, she tried to recall the last thing that had happened before supposedly passing out. All she could remember though was a giant pair of red eyes. A shiver went down her spine. It seemed so realistic, but it had to be a dream right? After all, she was asleep, so it was all probably imagined in her head.

'_Whatever'_ thought Kagome, she was hungry and she needed to go hunt some food.

With that notion in mind Kagome got up, grabbed all her stuff and readied the bow in her hands. It only took for her to go about 40 feet when she heard a rustle. Her eyes flitting to the left, she saw a snow white bunny sitting on its hind legs, eating a piece of grass.

Making sure to stay quiet, she took careful aim. With a twang she let her arrow fly. A soft pop let her know that it made contact with her target. Walking over to examine her kill, she felt an odd sort of thrill. Her shot was perfect, taking the rabbit clean by the throat with only a small puncture to indicate what has happened.

Kagome bent down and picked up the small animal by the ears.

'_Food'_, she thought with a smile.

The girl originating from the future walked to a small clearing nearby, skinned the hide off, and started a small fire to cook her meat.

When she was done she doused the flames and took a feral-like bite from her daytime meal. Her stomach was growling and she was ravenous. The meat tasted so good in her mouth, and she savored every chunk.

She was just about to rip off another piece when she heard a rustle again. It wasn't soft enough to be an animal and she didn't feel a demonic aura, so that only left a human… and by the sound of it, more than one.

Quickly she got up and pointed an arrow to where the sound emanated.

"Reveal yourself," she called.

Out came four men, each one in tattered rags and filthy to the bone. They sneered at her menacingly.

"Looks like we've found another one men," said one of them. He looked as though he were the leader of his small pack from the way the other three stood slightly behind him. He was balding on the top of his head and the little amount of hair he did possess was pulled into a ponytail.

As for his three cronies, there was one that was lanky and had a huge mole above his lip. Another was slightly built with a scar going down the left side of his face. Finally, the last man was of medium height, had a large beer belly. There was nothing in particular about him except for the fact he gave off the foul odor of an ogre.

"Hmm…this one is quite pretty. Can we have some fun with her before we slit her throat?" asked Scarface with a disturbing smirk.

"I don't see why not," replied Ponytail.

Kagome's eyes narrowed at them as she they talked about like she wasn't even there. Now she wasn't one who tolerated being spoken about or treated like an object, so this was definitely ticking her off.

"Excuse me for interrupting," said Kagome sarcastically. "But would you mind on enlightening me as to why you think you can rape and kill me before I shoot this arrow into your chest?"

The four men gave out barks of cruel laughter.

"Quite a spitfire we have here!" howled Moldy

Kagome's temper was rising evermore, so to shut them up she shot an arrow directly next to Ponytail's arm. Purposely missing, the arrow stuck into the tree behind him with a slight cracking sound, causing him to let out a yelp of alarm.

"You see?! They're all the same! These bitches need to be taught their place! They think they can just waltz in and take our brothers from us!" yelled Moldy.

The other men roared and cheered in agreement.

Now confused, Kagome asked, "What are you talking about?"

The Ogre Man looked at her in disbelief. "You have not heard?"

Kagome shook her head.

"There have been attacks on villages for the past three days, ours was the third village. A fourth was hit last evening."

"And how does this pertain to women?" she asked annoyed.

"It was all done by a human female," answered Moldy.

'_A human female? How could that be? How can a single woman overpower four villages?' _ Thought Kagome.

Out loud Kagome gave a small unladylike snort and said, "So what you're basically telling me is that the four of you are going around raping and killing whatever women you find because some human female killed the people in your village?"

"They were our brothers! Women need to be taught their place!" yelled Ponytail.

"Let me ask you this, was every single person slain a male?" asked Kagome.

Ogre Man shook his head. "No, our wives and daughters are dead too,"

"Yet you would hurt all females even though they too were victims? Pathetic." Kagome said in disgust.

This left the dungy men in slight confusion, and they looked at each other wondering what they should do next. Finally, Ponytail decided to take charge.

"Enough! We don't need to hear anything you say, you're another woman who needs to-"

"Learn my place," finished Kagome for him with an eye roll. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I believe you said that more than enough times,"

The four men growled in anger at the fact she dare cut their leader off.

"Get her!" commanded Ponytail.

Obeying the order they all stepped forward, making their way toward the girl with the bow.

They were too close now to shoot at, so she put her bow and arrow back on her back and pulled out two knives.

She was about to lash out at them when she felt her arm burn a deep searing pain near her wrist. Her head swam in fogginess and she felt her chest constrict. She was nauseated and instinct told her that there was something deeply wrong here. She felt and saw her right as it plunged the knife into Scarface who was about to grab her when everything went black.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

That's the end of chapter ten everyone, and I just have a few words to say,

First, to S3rrenity4193, you hit it right on the dot. I'm glad you see how Kagome is truly acting.

Kagome is acting like a completely immature brat basically. She is not acting like a pure miko, and she is also acting like a hypocrite. It is one thing to feel the hurt of betrayal, but she's kinda dramatizing it more than it should be. At this point in the story she is ready to do anything to get her revenge and as S3rrenity4193 said, to a point it's disgusting. She is the one who always says that people should be given a second chance, to forgive and move on, yet here she is going psycho.

There are also others who see this too, but S3rrenity4193 definitely got that image I was trying to put out of how Kagome changed from the girl we all knew to the one who is thinking and acting so horridly. So great job =]

Anyway, there's more to come so I hope you like this chapter and drop a review to tell me what you think.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who added me on their story/author alert and to everyone who has favorite my stories and me as an author. I'm trying to respond to each of your reviews still  
and let me say that nothing beats getting one and hearing from you. So please leave one on your way out, even a single word is appreciated =]

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter Eleven: May the End Begin

* * *

The village had suffered pure destruction. Blood, bodies, and gore all around. It was like staring into a real nightmare. The stench of death has made home here, abusing her poor nostril with its vile scent. She leaned against the tree and closed her eyes.

She had woken to find herself alone in a different clearing, having no recollection of what had happened after she plunged her knife into one of the men. Still in a groggy state she climbed to her feet and walked, allowing her instinct to guide her. She had no idea where she was heading until she came upon this gruesome sight.

It made her sick to her stomach, especially now that she had gotten a closer look. It seemed as though the person who caused this purposely made a mess, so to say. Many of the bodies had a wound to their chest, and from the looks of it, it was a fatal blow. Yet that wasn't enough. There were slashes and cuts, gashes and gaping holes that mutilated their bodies. Whoever did this took pleasure from it, deliberately causing other wounds though there was no need.

It was a gruesome sight indeed. Yet…the thought of such a battle, having to fight so much gave her blood some type of adrenaline rush. She could almost imagine the feel of her body twisting and bending, her tones muscles straining against so many people, her sword making nice and even slices.

While she continued to observe the destroyed ruins, something caught in the corner of her eye. Turning to her right she squinted, trying to make out what it was that she saw.

It was a human…no, it was a demon. She could feel its energy with her powers, but it was a much fainter read than she usually gets. Was it a lesser demon? Is that why she couldn't feel its aura as strongly?

No matter, she needs to ready herself in case it decides to attack her. Her body tensed; her hand on the hilt of sword as the demon came closer.

It seemed to be glowing, a bright white light emanating from it. She squinted again only to have her eyes widen as she realized exactly who it was that was walking.

"Sesshomaru," she whispered to herself. The tall youkai was taking long strides to the center of the village; his cold, calculating eyes scanning the surroundings. That's when she realized he wasn't glowing. Instead it was his clothes; with the contrast of such a pristine, white garment along with the glaring of the sun made it seem like he was illuminated.

Indeed, he stood out. From the red and brown that made up the ruins, he was like a blob of white paint.

But wait; if this was Sesshomaru then he _wasn't_ a lesser demon, which means his aura should be blaring out to her. What was the meaning of this? Was he shielding it?

She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. She would deal with this later; right now she had to find out why the dog demon had come to this place.

She took a breath and walked forward, putting herself in his line of vision.

Immediately he saw her. As his eyes came to a rest on her, she squared her shoulders and stared right back.

They stood observing each other in silence for a few moments, when Sesshomaru openly acknowledged her presence.

"Miko," he said, with the slightest flick of his head.

"Sesshomaru," she nodded back.

He watched as she took a few steps closer to him, but her eyes were on the scene around them.

"Just a guess, but are you trying to figure out what happened here?" she asked.

"No," he paused. "I am here to know _who_ is responsible," he replied. His eyes narrowed as she nodded absently. "And you Miko? What is your purpose here?"

"Oh me?" she asked airily. "I was just taking a stroll when I ended up here."

He watched her carefully. '_There is more to it than that Miko'_ he thought. Out loud he said, "You reek of blood and men," his words were filled with disdain from the horrid stench.

"You can tell my scent apart from the disgusting one here? Eh, it's just from a little rumble I got in," she said, brushing off his inquiring tone. "And don't judge me; I haven't had the chance to take a dip yet. So, you know anything besides it was done apparently by some human chick?

Her grammar and foreign words were a little grating, considering it took him a moment longer to understand what she was saying. But he got the gist of it. _'So she is aware of the female,' _he thought. After pausing a moment to decide whether or not to answer her, he said:

"My sources tells me that there have been three other villages that have been attacked by the same human. As well as there are only four survivors. All four are from the third village. I have dispatched searchers so that we may gather them and see if they know how this human looks."

"I wouldn't waste your time on looking for them. They only knew that it was a female. Besides they were complete pigs," she told him, wrinkling her nose.

"How are you aware of this Miko?"

"I ran into them,"

"Ran? And what of them now?" he asked, suspicious of the answer.

"I killed them," she answered simply. As soon as she said it, she knew her words were true. Up until then she wasn't sure what had happened but as soon as she said it she knew what had taken place, and she held no remorse for her actions. They wished to harm her so she defended herself. Simple as that.

Sesshomaru stared at the girl in front of him that had just told him she murdered four men so nonchalantly. She has indeed changed, even more so from the last time he has seen her. It is odd. She is doing impure things but her aura did not indicate that she has been tainted, but then again…

He looked at her closely.

Her aura is not as strong, her powers have decreased. There is no doubt that she had gotten physically stronger, but spiritually…she was weaker.

There was only one way to test if this is in fact true. He could sense a lesser demon hidden just on the outskirts of where they stood, lurking in the shadows. From what he could tell it was a useless demon who liked to feed on power. In that case, it is about to get a full course meal.

He discreetly sent a tendril of power to where it lay. As the demon latched on the thin thread, Sesshomaru could feel it get crazed with hunger.

At once he knew he succeeded because he could sense it turn and charge in their direction.

It was coming steadily closer, yet the girl still hadn't realized it. She was calmly observing the rest of the rubble.

He could see it now; its bulky shape was heading forward from the miko's back. A couple more feet and it would ram into her.

Suddenly she whipped around, her bow and arrow drawn. With a _twang _she let the arrow fly, alight with pink flames. In a flash the demon was dust.

It wasn't a mediocre display, no, it was far from it. But now he knew.

The miko had no idea that her power had dwindled to half.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

He placed butterfly kisses all down her throat. His hands roamed her silky skin and grinned as she shivered from his touch. Oh how he wanted to bury his member deep inside of her, but they knew the hanyou and undead miko would be back soon. Oh well, he'll take what he can get.

"Mirokuuuuuuuu," she moaned.

The need in her voice made him even harder, if that were possible. He never felt this way for any other woman. Granted, he was a flirt, but this…this woman, this taijiya, turned him into a magnet. He was stuck to her and he was perfectly fine with that.

He was about to claim her lips into his when there was a tug at the edge of his senses. He had put up a ward of sort that gave notice at the arrival of their companions.

From the pull, he guessed it indicated they would soon be upon them.

Disappointed, he pulled back from the lovely lady beneath him.

"Sango my love, it seems as though we've been interrupted. Inuyasha has returned," he sighed.

"Miroku?" muttered Sango. She looked at him through half-lidded eyes, slowly waking from her stupor when the warmth of his body disappeared.

Just then a crash made them jump, scaring the wits out of Sango, who leaped up with a shriek.

There at the doorway was the inu hanyou and priestess. Inuyasha raised a crooked brow at the scene. He took in the surprised faces, the flushes cheeks, the smell of arousal, and not to mention Sango's rumpled clothing.

"What are you two doin? We ain't got time for you to be makin pups ya know," he said in his usual brash manner.

Sango gaped at him, her mouth opening and closing in silent horror.

Miroku, who was now beet red laughed sheepishly.

"Now, now Inuyasha. We weren't up to anything of that sort. I was just helping my dear Sango here with a few exercise positions. Like the one where she pumps her legs up and down simultaneously. This gives an even further firmness to her beautiful glu-"

"**HENTAI!"** screamed Sango, and with the power only a mortified woman could have, the palm of her hand collided with the face of the monk.

As he had been speaking, his wandering hand had strolled down to Sango's backside and gave it a squeeze.

"Ahh Sango, you misjudge my intentions. I was just emphasizing which part of your body we were working on," said Miroku in a daze. His eyes were seeing stars but it was so worth it.

Sango shook her head, as if to ward away the unending embarrassment. Turning her attention to the two still watching from the doorway, she asked, "So did you get it?"

They had decided to stay at a local inn when Kikyou claimed to feel a jewel shard. As Miroku and Sango had gotten up, Kikyou said that Inuyasha and herself would be able to handle it. So off they went, leaving the monk and slayer behind in the inn.

"Keh no, the bastard got away," scoffed Inuyasha.

"I'm sure it did," muttered Sango to herself.

After all, how many shards could possibly be left? Two or three perhaps, considering Naraku had all of them besides the fused piece Kagome has, the two in Kouga, the one in Kohaku, and the four shards they had. But she would bet her hiraikotsu that the undead miko had lied; only hoping to have Inuyasha by himself for a while.

She sighed inwardly, knowing there was nothing she could do but hope they find Kagome soon and find the rest of the shards. But speaking of the shards…

Inuyasha looked uneasy; he had been from the moment he entered, now shifting even more than ever. Kikyou too was looking a bit _too_ impassive. A pricking thought nagged at the back of her head.

"Inuyasha…where are our shards?" she asked suspiciously.

At the sound of her apprehensive voice Miroku snapped to attention and looked intently at the hanyou and priestess.

"Where do you think wench? I gave them to Kikyou to hold, remember?" he sneered. But he was failing and was squirming even more under her gaze.

"I know you _gave_ them to her," she spit out, her eyes narrowing. "But where are they _now_?"

This met a wall of silence. Inuyasha and Kikyou exchanged looks. Finally Kikyou spoke:

"Naraku has them," she told them.

"WHAT?" yelled Sango and Miroku.

"We were goin for the shard Kikyou felt when the asshole surprise ambushed us," said Inuyasha cringing. "He took the shards and disappeared."

The room was dead quiet.

Slowly Sango got up, her face a blank slate. She took slow strides to the door, brushing past Inuyasha and Kikyou, going outside.

Miroku looked closely at the two in front of him who were exchanging looks again.

His brow furrowed as her thought, '_There's something wrong here. Something doesn't fit.'_

Outside, Sango was standing with her eyes squeezed shut, taking deep breaths. Her fists were clenched, her nails digging into her skin. Her entire frame was stiff and shaking from rage.

It took all her will power to not go back inside and claw the dead miko's eyes out. '_She did this on pur__pose__,'_ she thought vehemently. _'She took Inuyasha and went after a fake shard, leading him to Naraku and gave him the shards. Of course the idiot half dog would think it was a surprise. He would never think she set it up. But if he came after our shards and there are only a few left…'_ her eyes widened.

'_Please be safe Kagome. So help me Kami, if Naraku lays a finger on you because of Kikyou, I will personally carve off every single piece of her clay body, string them on rope, and go fishing for demons with them as bait in the forest. Then I'll get the jewel, wish for her to come alive and do it all over again, to insure she feels the pain.'_

'_To insure she screams in agony.'_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Yes! I own him! *Lawyer pokes with stick* Oh, you mean Inuyasha? No, no, not him...I was talking about my cardboard cutout. Hehe. *sheepish grin*

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter 12: Who Have You Become?

"Hush, hush child; it'll all be over soon."

He watched as the shadow child whimpered. It flinched as he let the blade gently glide over its dark skin. It had a smooth, vapor-like quality, so silky. As he ran his hand over where he would make his mark, the shadow child recoiled from his touch. Irritation flooded through him as it continued to try to evade him. Finally, his agitation reaching its breaking point, he grabbed the young creature.

"Alright then, you brat; I was just going to make a small cut, but since you obviously can't handle that, you're going to have to be punished,"

He grabbed the child by the arm and slammed it to the ground, sitting on its chest to stifle the flaying limbs.

Once it was seen that there was no way for it to move, he put his hands into his coat pockets. With one hand he pulled out a large glass vial, and with the other, a large bladed knife. The shadow creature whined in panic and struggled with renewed strength at the sight of it.

"Stay still!" he roared, and smacked it with the flat side of the blade.

The child's body shook slightly and let out something that sounded like sobs. He turned the knife and placed it at its neck.

"It's a pity you shadow creatures cannot speak, but at least I have the pleasure in hearing you scream," he told it with a mad look in his eyes.

With a smooth motion, he slit its throat with the blade.

An unearthly scream filled the air. The child shrieked in agony as its black blood spewed from its neck and into the vial of its captor.

It was a haunting, agony filled sounds, one that causes the heart to clench and shudders to rock through the body. It was a scream that followed you into your worst nightmares and into your sweetest dreams.

The life was draining from the child fast, as was its blood.

Soon, it stopped crying. It stopped moving. He had successfully completed his job. Now he must return to his master and hand him the last ingredient.

He stood from his kneeling position and started to take a few steps. But he turned around to get one last look as his handy work.

The child body started to turn to smoke, drifting into the sky.

And then with only a whisper of wind, the shadow creature was no more.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

His plans for her had long since changed. Her offer was not needed anymore. It was tempting, causing him to accept without thought, an action that was not common for him. Never had he made a decision so rash without first thinking it through. But now looking back he realized the destruction of Inuyasha by his hand, though a pleasant thought, was unnecessary.

He is a pest, a lingering annoyance, but not to the point where it is a constant interruption. Although fewer run ins with the whelp would be much more welcome.

His desire to possess Tetsusaiga had also evaporated many, many moons ago.

The only reason he continues to allow her to roam freely is because of his own unquenched curiosity.

The girl is intriguing, a fact he cannot deny. She is an anomaly, a change from the constant cycle of norm. Who is she? Why is she here? Besides her task of gathering the Shikon Jewel shards, what is her purpose in this era?

Perhaps it is the fact that he might never know the answers to his questions that he searched so hard.

It is a question that continues to repeat in his mind and it is truly frustrating.

Although with her physical strength and quick wittedness, she would pose to be a valuable ally. Yet if she were to join him, it would be necessary for him to know the details of her current loss.

From their encounters it seems that she is still not aware. And, if her fading priestess powers were not bad enough, her aura was diminishing as well. With all the facts he has so far, he can only conclude that she was turning into a regular human, granted, one with formidable agility. Yet the question still remains: Why?

Speaking of formidable human women, the attacks have not stopped. Instead they have grown in their quantity and timing. More than 9 villages have been ravaged since the forth, and they were done in rapid succession. After the eighth attack, he ran into the miko again.

She was surveying the damage with an almost blasé look. He watched her closely as she took it all in. There was an odd glint in her eye and he couldn't place what emotion it was from. However, there was a feeling he could not shake off. There was something wrong with her… an underlying detail that seems to be just out of his grasp.

But then she had turned to him and said only one thing:

"She sure as hell was thorough, wasn't she?" and walked away.

Her words were cold and mocking, as though she no longer cared about what was transpiring. Each time he sees her she had always transformed into a different being other than what she was known for; such as her purity and kindness. But if she mocked the dead and no longer cared, then what caused her to act as so? Had she turned into a dark miko? No, he did not get any sense of her becoming like that other woman, Tsubaki. And how could she become a dark miko if her powers were wading?

As if the mystery of the miko wasn't hard enough to crack, Naraku had been away for too long. That did not bode well with him. Anytime the arachnid took a "break", he was most certainly planning something.

Sesshomaru let out a low growl under his breath. He needs to get to the bottom of this, and soon.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

'_Kagome, where are you?'_ Inuyasha wondered.

It has been so long since they have seen the miko. In his heart he knew that he truly was the cause of all her pain, but his ego, pride, idiocy, and loud mouth wouldn't ever let him express how much he really cared for the future girl. His eyes glanced to the right at the love of his past that flew with her soul stealers. She was dead, he accepted that. But the connection and link that they had in the past was too hard to just completely forget about.

Kagome knew that a piece of his heart would always belong to Kikyou, and she still stood by him. Besides those extremely rare moments where he would spend time with Kagome alone, what did he show for his gratefulness? Nothing, absolutely nothing…beside his horrible attitude, constant mouthing off, and never-ending pain that he served to the girl on a silver platter.

She deserves so much better than him, and he would never deny that from himself. He knew he couldn't have both, contrary to what others thought. It was just so hard for him to say goodbye.

What Sango said to him a while ago ran through his mind:

"_I can't blame Kagome for leaving. I'd hate you too if I were her."_

His heart twisted in pain. She had a point, hell even he hates himself.

If only he could tell Kagome he was sorry, show her that he never really wanted to hurt her, but he knew that he was given too many chances.

He was a screw up.

But she was so _angry_. He had never seen her in such a way before. And it wasn't a normal hate, it was slightly…eerie. Even if she hated him, there would never be a look like that in her eyes. He knew her, and he knew that there was something else wrong.

It started when she turned nineteen. They had a battle with Naraku and one of his incarnates had taken off with Kagome. They managed to get her back, but she had never been exactly the same. The incarnate had cut open her wrist, taking a large amount of her blood. Since then she had gradually become more…volatile. She was quicker to anger, and more foul mouthed. Her tone of voice was bitter and many of her laughs were humorless.

Of course she hadn't completely changed. She was still kind, and caring, continually wanting to help every little thing that breathes and in need of aid. She was still…Kagome, just a bit more rough around the edges.

As for his former love, there was also something wrong with her. She looked the same, and for the most part acted the same, (her dead self not her live self of course), she still smelled of graveyard soil…but _she_ wasn't the same.

His Kikyou never lashed out in such name calling like that day with Sango when she first joined the group.

He was an idiot at times, but he was a smart idiot… if that in any way makes sense. There's something out of place in this whole mess and he needs to find out what's going on, before it's too late.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

End of chapter 12. Hello everyone, I know what you're thinking:

"_So NOW you decide to show up?_"

I know, I know, I'm sorry. But I'm going to be honest. I lost my passion for fanfiction for a while. Every day I would sit and try to write, but I just couldn't. I had nothing that made me want to. But recently I've read some great fanfics and it started bringing back my love in reading and writing.

I completely understand if many decided to drop this story, after all, it took me forever to update. Hopefully though there will be a few left that still wants to know what's going to happen.

I promise that no matter what I'll finish this and my other story, Truth or Dare: Let The Games Begin.

I have other chapters written and will post in either two or three days, that way I give people a chance to read and catch up.

Please leave a review on your way out, I'd like to know if my writing had taken a downturn or upturn from the previous chapters or stories.

Again, sorry for taking so long.

DA


	13. Chapter 13

Deeper Than Hatred

Written By: x0xDark-Angelx0x

Chapter 13: Mark Me

"You will be rewarded Hayate. You have performed your task flawlessly, and for that you deserve a treat," Naraku said.

Hayate knelt at his masters' legs. "No master, my only wish is to serve and please you. That is reward enough," he murmured lowly.

"Such a good servant you are," smirked the hanyou.

Indeed, it was a good thing he had come across the spell maker. With a little manipulating and tweaking on his part, the young human male had become his most loyal minion. He glanced back down at the vial handed to him. The black blood of a shadow creature; with it the enchantment would be complete, and the miko would forever be in his grasp.

It took two years to put his plan together, a delicate surgery in which he could not afford to miscalculate.

Two years ago he had a small skirmish with Inuyasha and his friends. It was not a serious fight, just enough to sidetrack them, get a hold of the miko and obtain her blood. With it, Hayate was able to concoct a spell by mixing in his own blood, and invoking the strange power he has. She would taint, bow to his every whim. She will not be possessed, but she will have a separate Kagome within her, one who is her and yet a version that pleased him more. Her true self would feel the changes, and they would feel norm to her. She would not realize what was happening because it would be as if to her nothing has changed. Her mind would not process the fact that she had turned coat. It is a complicated arrangement; the tainted Kagome would become the dominate Kagome while the pure Kagome lay dormant. If all went according to plan then she would be by his side for eternity…perhaps he will allow her to rule with him as his queen.

The plan had truly been pushed into action when Hayate immersed himself inside the miko's mind and gave her a little "push". He buried within her and wrapped her soul in a blanket-like manner with his own power.

Since he had a fair amount of control leading up to that point in time, he had willed her into telling her group she would like to go for a private bath and some time alone to her thoughts. Naraku lead her a good distance away to insure that no one would be able to realize what he was doing. During these little secluded times Hayate trained her. Each day she would learn physical combat, improved, and polished her skills. After each session Hayate would erase those memories from her mind. While she could not recall any of their meetings, she would retain her skills. The art of fighting melded into her from the continuous training, becoming almost a part of her natural instincts.

At times the hold on her would weaken, and she would lose some of the darkness, once more falling to her natural self. When this happened Hayate had to sacrifice more of his own blood to keep reign.

That's when Naraku had Hayate capture the shadow creature. By infusing its blood with any spell or potion, it would allow it to stabilize and the strength of it would become tenfold. The best starting point however had already been set up for him. That pain in the ass Inuyasha made the perfect opening. He could just have everyone think that her changes were brought on by the constant betrayals of the inu hanyou.

'_So sweet a victory this will be,' _thought Naraku. Not only will Kagome no longer be a barrier in his success, but she would also be his servant… in more than one way. She would be used to take out all who opposed him; his perfect weapon.

And there was the small fact that he would finally be able to lavish her lithe body. Yes, that was just another plus.

There were a few side effects from the spell though. While he was pleased that Kagome could now properly slay an opponent, the spell had brought upon an intense bloodlust within her.

Already she had slain over a dozen villages in a complete massacre. He can help control this urge, but for now he would indulge the girl.

But there was one other problem however... her priestess powers were somehow leaving her. This is both an advantage and disadvantage. Without her powers there is very little chance she could harm him should she somehow overcome the spell. Yet now she would only be able to take out his enemies by physical combat.

Either way, he would take the bad with the good. The girl was only a few moments from being at his side. The mark that had appeared on her arm has grown, leaving beautiful swirls and intricate designs all over her body. It was a symbol of the spell. When it is complete, Kagome will bear the sign of the spells' power for all to see.

It is time. He stood from his chair and motioned for Hayate to follow.

"Come, we must complete the spell."

They walked over to where a stone basin stood in the corner of the dark room. IT had a barrier around it to keep it protected from others. Naraku removed the barrier and looked down.

Inside was Kagome's and Hayate's blood, swirling slowly. All they needed to do now was add the last ingredient. Carefully, the hanyou lifted the vial in his hand and poured it into the other two life fluids as an attentive Hayate looked on.

As soon as the black liquid touched the red, it began to hiss; bits of sparks came flying upward. The bloods started to mix, swirling together faster and faster.

Naraku turned away and faced his servant.

And now master?" asked the minion.

The spider half demon's eyes narrowed in malicious glee.

"And now Hayate, we go to collect out dear Shikon guardian."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The lands aren't in too bad shape. There aren't any more troublesome beings than usual, which of course is a good thing. Patrolling the West is a tedious job. He quite enjoyed walking through the forest, breathing the clean air, and left alone in his thoughts. But this comfort was disturbed by those lower vermin and other creatures.

He gave the area another sweeping glance. Satisfied, he turned around and started to make his way back to the fortress.

As he was about to take another step, the air rippled slightly. Sesshomaru paused, his senses on high alert. There was another ripple, followed by a huge pulse of power. It trickled over his skin, giving him an odd prickly sensation. It felt like dark magic.

Yes, it was definitely dark magic, he had felt it once before many years ago when his uncle had battled with an evil sorceress. The pulses continued to grow and now came more frequently. Quickly locating it to the northeastern part of the lands, he sped forward.

The trees and scenery rushed past him as he raced to investigate the disturbance.

He was closer now, only a bit more and he would see.

There, just ahead in the clearing.

There is a medium sized whirlwind and right in the midst of it is a figure. He couldn't make out who it was because of the thick, dusty air and black smoke.

Slowly the fog began to drift away, however they were replaced by an electric sort of energy. The air hummed around the figure. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he was just able to see who it was.

The miko.

Sesshomaru's mind raced as he kept his face perfectly in place. His eyes narrowed further as he took in her appearance. Marks of all sorts of sorts decorated her skin like black ink. It reminded him of those tattoo he had overheard her talking about that humans deigned on themselves in the future. They glided up her arms in delicate vines, twisting and turning in every way. He looked at her collar, and on both sides were symbols and swirls, making it across her skin, stopping at just the base of her neck. Her ankles which were visible from the calf-length fighting pants she wore were encircled in a ringlet pattern. Never had he seen such a thing, but perhaps the only thing that surprised him more was the look on her face, and the expression that graced her eyes.

They were fathomless and deep, her warm chocolate orbs replaced with black saucers with an odd, very, very faint glow behind them. Like a solar eclipse.

Her head was slightly cocked to the side as she took him in, a devious smirk on her lips.

She took a step toward him. Encouraged when he did not back away or lay his hand on his sword, she took another. Pace by pace, she stalked toward him. Standing only a few footfalls away, she grinned.

"Quite the handsome little devil aren't you?" she cooed in a mocking voice. "Ahh, so strong too…mmm, I can just sense that power under your skin."

Sesshomaru said nothing as the marked priestess took another step. She was now face to shoulder with him. A gleam shined in her eyes as she let a finger trail down his chest, "There's darkness in you too…there is in every youkai, no matter how good. Yours however, is very...captivating." she whispered.

Sesshomaru stared at the girl with a blank expression. His first instinct was to rip her arm of his person, but her twisted transformation brought his curiosity to the peak. Besides, she had given no show of ill intent, just a, for lack of a better word, fascination with him.

Suddenly Kagome stopped her exploring and backed away until she stood where she was before.

"Such a pity, Sesshomaru dear, that you are not with us. Oh we would have had so much fun together," she sighed with some admiration tinting her voice.

Sesshomaru raised a brow when she spoke. _'Us?'_ he wondered.

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, his answer was delivered to him.

He smelled the hanyou as he dropped from the sky, accompanied by a human male. His calculating brain worked fast as he put two and two together. _'That human is responsible for the dark magic… The feeling I received near him is unmistakable.' _

Naraku swept forward quickly, standing behind the miko. He brought a hand to rest on Kagomes' waist and looked at the western lord.

"Now, now, Sesshomaru, there's no need to get violent," he said when he saw that the inuyoukai's hand grasp his sword tightly. "I have merely come to collect my dear here. Ahh, I can see it in your eyes, you have pieced together some of the puzzle bits, have you? Well, you always were a clever one."

Sesshomaru said nothing, but his feet parted slightly as he readied himself in battle stance. The insolent hanyou was responsible from the miko's change and he had help from the human. He let his eyes roam over the three beings, taking in every detail.

Naraku laughed evilly. "Would you like to see me just a sample of what my new toy can do?"

So quick that anyone besides Sesshomaru would have missed it, Kagome raised her bow and let loose an arrow. At the same time a cloud of miasma exploded from Naraku, filling the air with its purple smog.

A fast realization entered his mind as Kagome released her arrow; her purification powers were completely gone, her arrow was normal. At the last moment Sesshomaru dodged to the side and felt a small prick of pain in his left shoulder. Had he not moved, the arrow would have surely been punctured his heart. Ripping it out of his body he quickly raised his sword, ready to land the next move.

But when he looked up…they were gone.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Well hello there!

I have uploaded this part again because I received many PMs about readers not being able to view this chapter. Some even told me that the website didn't even show that I had updated. Anyway, I did a little format change, a little tweaking here and there, so I'm pretty sure it would be fine now.

So here's chapter 13, hope you all enjoyed. And I also have to give a thank you to the reviewers, for reviewing obviously, but also giving me pointers, and telling me what they think.

I appreciate the constructive criticism because it really is helpful.

Enough ranting, press that little box down there and leave a few words.

I'll update soon.

Until next time,

DA


End file.
